I was hoping to get together a podcast for at least the weekend, but it's just not going to happen.  Unfortunately, a brother's gotta get some sleep at some point.  So, I'll just have to get the word to you through text...

As I said last week CMJ Music Marathon has been going on all week.  Although the lineup doesn't excite me as much as in the past, except for some of the most popular bands (Spoon, M.I.A., Band of Horses, Sahara Hotnights, Deerhunter), it's still a great time.  Saw the Meat Puppets last night.  They put on an excellent show.  It's hard to believe they've been playing for 20 years.  Their songs are pretty timeless.

It continues through the weekend (all over downtown Manhattan and in Brooklyn), and here are a few good tidbits going on around the Alphabet City area.  It's a great time to check out numerous bands in different showcases around the city at very small venues.  Club Midway looks to have pretty much the best lineup in the area for the weekend.  Friday night opens at 7:00 with Hot Springs... a great band with an amazing singer (ton of energy, will be awesome at such a small venue).  If you're a fan of the Noisettes, you'll like this one.  You'll want to get there early and stick around for Illinois, who puts together a great show. 

In the afternoon, Saturday at Pianos is a nice line-up with Tiny Masters of Today (the most famous pre-teens in rock) and The Maccabees.  Also on Saturday night if you're feeling adventurous head over the river to Brooklyn and go to The Music Hall of Williamsburg and seek the Art Goblins (code name for Art Brut).

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Well... the Yankees totally folded (will A-rod & Torre be back??), the Mets totally collapsed (the real reason they're amazin'... clean out their pitching staff, please??).  What to do?  How about checking out these bands on this week's podcast...

Wednesday, Oct. 10:  Prize Country come out of Portland to blow out that dank little basement at Lit Lounge.

Thursday, Oct. 11:  The Sweet Ones punk it out at Club Midway.

Friday, Oct. 12:  Gliss have a dark, sexy sound (think BRMC) and open the night at Bowery Ballroom.

Saturday, Oct. 13:  Check out Low Lustre at Pianos.

email me (I'm Chad) at alphabetcityradio@gmail.com

Well, it's Labor Day weekend!  Time to hang out on your nearest roof top and bask in the sun... and reflect on all those things you meant to do over the summer but never did.  It's all over now.  You missed your chance.  Awww, don't be depressed.  Just grab a beer and make up for lost time.  This week's show has some great band for you to see and reflect on the summer that almost was.

Friday, August 31:  The Southstreet Seaport has been playing great free live bands all summer.  This Friday is no exception.  Kick off your weekend with Deerhunter at around 7:00 as they open for Battles.

Cake Shop continues with a great lineup.  First up is The Fearsome Sparrow with a cool trip hop sort of sound.  Then, plays The Actual Facts (the singer's got a really cool voice, and of course got to have good tunes behind it).  Finish off the night with The Epochs, who have some serious groove.

Saturday, September 1:  Stumble into Arlene's Grocery to finish off your night with some kickin' rock & roll with The Nuclears.

Sunday, September 2:  Work schmerk!  Nothing to do on Monday, so keep the party moving with Ludlow Lions at Mercury Lounge.  Make sure you get there early for them.

We finish off the show with a smooth one from Kendra Morris.  You must check out this song!

Enjoy your weekend!

alphabetcityradio@gmail.com

I really like this line-up.  From front to back, we have a nice mix of hard & soft, rock & folk, some original sounds.  I think it's nice representation of NYC's music scene as it is today at the local clubs.

Check out who's featured on this week's show:

Thursday, August 16:  Moon Rabbits bring their (what I think is) early punk sound to Pianos.

Friday, August 17:  Mellow out with Slim Francis at Club Midway's early show.  They have a nice soul, almost country vibe.

Saturday, August 18:  We've got a smorgasboard of live acts for you.  Woods plays Cake Shop with some folk-driven sounds (with some synth too?  Interesting combo.)  I Love You Airlines was featured first on Show 46.  They're gonna shake that basement up at Lit Lounge.  Finally, Club Midway's late show for the night includes a group of guys from Glasgow in a band called Terra Diablo (think Oasis minus the whiny voice, when they have balls).  They aren't on the podcast, but check out Mystery Hangup.  What a great rock & roll band.

enjoy!

email Chad:  alphabetcityradio@gmail.com

The bands featured in this week's show present some unique sounds.  They're all great and look to fit very well to set the mood in their respective venues.

Check it out...

Friday, August 10:  Tirra Lirra come in from Chicago to take on Cake Shop. 

Saturday, August 11:  Coming all the way over from Williamsburg is The Velocet to play Mercury Lounge.  They're topping off a great line-up.

Don't forget to subscribe (just go to the side and click) and send me (Chad) an email at alphabetcityradio@gmail.com.  Thanks for listening!

It's time for the annual Siren music fest in Coney Island on Saturday, July 21.  We're skipping the Alphabet City 'hood this week and hopping on the F train out to Brooklyn for some sun, the Cyclone, Nathan's hot dogs, and a day of live music on 2 stages near the beach. 

This week's podcast features music from the Siren line-up...

Main Stage acts:  The Twighlight Sad, The Black Lips, We Are Scientists

Stillwell Stage acts:  White Rabbits, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, The Detroit Cobras, Lavender Diamond, Matt and Kim, Voxtrot, Cursive

Developers are looming over Coney Island as we know it, so enjoy it while you can!  Have fun.

email Chad at alphabetcityradio@gmail.com

Thanks for sticking with me.  I think I've got the whole talking thing down this week, which is a nice thing when your doing a podcast (and even better for you).  Here's the line-up of featured acts this week:

Friday, July 13:  The Besnard Lakes shows us that Montreal still is kickin' the rock scene.  They play Mercury Lounge.  Opening the show is The Muggabears (Show 47).

Saturday, July 14:  Kite will be taking their cool psychadelic sound to Cake Shop. Also Saturday, July 14:  F-Units rock out Club Midway at around midnight.

By the way, check out Land of Talk in a free green show on Saturday afternooon.

And don't forget Ford & Fitzroy playing their residency all month on Thursdays at Pianos.

Make sure you come back next week as we gear up for Siren at Coney Island next week.

e-mail Chad at alphabetcityradio@gmail.com

Happy birthday to us!  It's the week of July 4th.  Time to celebrate our independence. 

Don't know the deal with my brain and mouth this week.  They just weren't in sync.  But we still have some great bands.  Check out who's featured in this week's show:

Thursday, July 5:  Perry Went Home makes their way from St. Louis to Pianos.

Friday, July 6:  Brooklyn's My Teenage Stride play at Cake Shop.

Saturday, July 7:  Batorats take the stage at Tiswas at The Annex.  I saw them play a few months ago, and they were great.

Saturday, July 8:  Memphis is truly a mecca for music of music all kinds, and they bring us Antique Curtains, a band with a unique punk sound.  Check them out at Cake Shop before going to The Annex.

Comments?  Email Chad at alphabetcityradio@gmail.com

Damn, it's been a while!  After sorting out my new schedule (new job issues), I've found my way back here again... finally.  Thought I had it figured out when I was getting Show 49 together, but I guess not. 

Welcome to Show 50!  Here's what's featured this week...

Got a nice new tune from Indianburn, who I've featured here before.  Saw them play a fine set out in Brookyn at Trash Bar.  They're a lot of fun to watch.  Do a search for them on itunes too.

Tuesday, June 19:  Cock Lorge's been playing a residency at Piano's.  Check out the last show.  With songs like this, it's bound to be a lot of fun.  And if you're trying to get some action, take a date.  You'll be sure to get the point across. 

Thursday, June 21:  Black Horse brings 2 serious guitars and a drum machine to Club Midway.  If you like The Kills, you should check out Black Horse.  Black Horse rocks it out a bit more, though.

Friday, June 22:  Could it be the last show for Group Sounds?  It looks like it might be so.  See them at the Mercury Lounge.

Saturday, June 23:  The Narrator drop in from Chicago to play Cake Shop.  Got a great song from them.

Email Chad at alphabetcityradio@gmail.com.

Thanks for listening, and enjoy the show!

Well, I've had some serious computer and time issues, so it's been awhile.  But your fearless host, Chad, is back again, ready to bring you a sample of the upcoming week in live music in and around Alphabet City, NYC.  Thanks for sticking with me.

Since the last show a favorite venue around here had its final show.  A fond farewell to Sin-e.  It was a great place.  I saw one of my favorite shows ever there, The Presets, last summer.  Go see them if you ever get the chance.

Check out what's featured on this week's show...

Wednesday, April 4:  The King Left hit Pianos to start off their month-long residency.

Thursday, April 5:  Crackers United has moved their Friction show from the ill-fated Sin-e to the Mercury Lounge.  They have an amazing lineup with Land of Talk, who I've talked about many times on this show.  This week, I have a song from the opener, Balun.  They've got an electronic thing going on.  Pretty unique for this venue.

Friday, April 6:  Listen to some energenic, seriously kick-ass psychobilly at The Delancey with The Tombstone Brawlers.  They've got 2 sets scheduled for the same night!

Saturday, April 7:  Go to Club Midway for some White Noise.  Classic indie rock sound.  Their singer reminds me of one of my all-time favorites, Peter Garrett (the singer from Midnight Oil), without all the politics.

We've got a pretty eclectic mix of styles this week.  Only 3 acts this time, but they're quite a spectrum of sounds.

See who's playing around the neighborhood this weekend.  This week's podcast features...

Thursday, March 8:  Kreisor plays Club Midway.  An old school stoner rock sound, heavy on the guitar and keyboards.  They put together some really good jams.

Friday, March 9:  The Beautiful Traps hit Fat Baby from Philly.  This one reminds me of a '60's-inspired pop rock band.

Saturday, March 10:  Head to Pianos and see Ford & Fitzroy for a classic indie band.  Bouncy guitar and cracking voice work really well together.


alphabetcityradio@gmail.com

Well, the podcast's been going strong now for a whole year!  Thanks for your support.  Can't believe that I've been able to keep it going this long.  Seems like only yesterday that I started this half-baked attempt to be New York's own Dr. Johnny Fever.

Nothing extra special for this week's show to celebrate the anniversary.  No need.  Rather let the NYC scene do it for me.  Here's what's featured on this week's podcast...

Thursday, March 1:  Uncut hits Brooklyn at the reincarnation of Luna Lounge.  Some nice noise from Toronto.  They played Pianos on Wednesday night.  Makes me wonder what's behind a group of guys calling themselves "Uncut."  Know what I'm sayin'?

Friday, March 2:  Go to Sin-e and see The Muggabears.  Fans of artsy melodic noise bands like Sonic Youth should like this one.  I know I do.

Saturday, March 3:  I've got 2 choices for this night.  If your into hardcore stoner rock that kicks your teeth in, check out Vincent Black Shadow at Club Midway.  On the other hand, if you'd rather see some '60's inspired psychadelic pop, go see The Headquarters at the tiswas party at The Annex.  Whatever suits your mood.  Don't think you'll be disappointed either way.

send me (Chad) an e-mail at alphabetcityradio@gmail.com

Yo, yo, yo!!!  Back again with some more great live bands here in downtown New York.  Here's the taste you get on this week's podcast:

Thursday, Feb. 22:  Check out Cock Lorge at Fat Baby.  Pornographic songs that don't take themselves seriously and with great melodies. 

Friday, Feb. 23:  The Picture plays Sin-e.  If you haven't heard, it's official that Sin-e's days are numbered, so take advantage of some great live tunes here before it's too late.

Saturday, Feb. 24:  The band I Love You Airlines at The Annex for the weekly tiswas party.  Nice pop tunes with a touch of electronic to it.

Plus, a little nugget from Seizure 17.  Don't know what you call it (grunge? punk?), but it's cool.  Check out those lyrics!  Saw them recently, and it was some good stuff.

e-mail Chad at alphabetcityradio@gmail.com

 

COLTS WIN!!!!!  COLTS WIN!!!!!  Best thing ever in the history of American sports?  If you ask me... yes!  Still basking in the glow that one of my teams didn't totally choke.  So, with all the preparations for the Super Bowl and the hoopla after the Colts' big win, I got a late start on this week's show, so we're starting this one with Thursday night.  But Saturday's show is going to be a great one, so I've got a sampling from a few of the bands on that night.

Here's what we've got on the podcast this week...

Thursday, Feb. 8:  The Ready Set start the night at Sin-e.  They're worth getting there early.

Friday, Feb. 9:  The Delancey has a long list of bands, but make sure you get there to see the Statues of Liberty.  They sometimes do this guitar/bass thing that reminds me of Alice in Chains, sounds like it would be great live.

Saturday, Feb. 10:  The Mercury Lounge has an awesome line-up.  You've already heard about the Bon Savants on Shows 34 & 41.  Now check out Black Moth Super Rainbow.  They mix some electronica in their rock music for a cool and creative sound.  Then 2 great rock acts, Shade and Up The Empire.  It looks like a great night of live music.

e-mail Chad at alphabetcityradio@gmail.com

Sorry I missed last week, folks.  Just too much going on.  But this one has some outstanding bands to make up for it.  So check out who's playing here this week...

Wednesday, Jan. 31:  The Born Ruffians hit Mercury Lounge after a couple of dates at Bowery Ballroom.  Some good pop indie rock from Toronto.  Looks like Montreal's not the only Canadian city to bring us some good music.

Thursday, Feb. 1:  The Boroughs, a great punk band from across the river in Astoria, play Pianos with The Black Angels out of Austin.  The Black Angels have a deep rock sound that reminds me of BRMC.  Really liked this song that they have for download, so I couldn't resist playing it and giving a double dose for this date.

Friday, Feb. 2:  Sin-e has The Mood.  Another nice song.  This one's fitting for this time of year.

Saturday, Feb. 3:  The Measure (SA) plays a benefit show at The Delancey.  This is some great, tight-sounding punk.


Questons?  Comments? e-mail Chad at alphabetcityradio@gmail.com

BRRRRR!!!  It's getting cold out now.  Don't be a wimp.  Get out and see these bands!  You MUST do it.  It is your duty.

Wednesday, Jan. 17:  Check out Dirty Lenin at Sin-e.  They put on a crazy cabaret-inspired show.  Lots of energy!

Thursday, Jan. 18:  The Upwelling plays an early set at Mercury Lounge.  I first heard them on a compilation disc, Virgin Recommends 15, which I received free with another disc at least a year ago.  They could headline any night here.

Friday, Jan. 19:  Head to Club Midway to check out The Gaskets out of Richmond, VA.  My parents live in Richmond, so I have an affinity for the town and wouldn't expect this cool synth pop from there.

Saturday, Jan. 20:  Telenovelastar at The Delancey.  These ladies will rawk you out!

Don't forget to e-mail Chad at alphabetcityradio@gmail.com!

Celebrate global warming!  Go out and experience the local music scene we have here in downtown New York!  More great bands are playing this week.

Here's what you get in this week's podcast...

Wednesday, Jan. 10:  Battle for Wyoming takes to Lit Lounge.  Tons of bass and drums... some great metal.

Thursday, Jan. 11:  Mercury Lounge hosts Demander, another metal band but with a female voice.  I've seen some comparisons to Yeah Yeah Yeahs.  See what you think.

Friday, Jan. 12:  Good pop rock with Haunted Horses at Cake Shop.  I've got a real catchy song for you from them.

Saturday, Jan. 13:  Mahogany plays as part of another Crackers United show at Sin-e with O'Death (Show 37) and Daylight's for the Birds (Show 39).  They have a very creative, ambient sound.  Fans of shoegazer bands and Stereolab should like them.

email Chad at alphabetcityradio@gmail.com

Well, it's a new year and a new show full of more New York bands plus an out of towner from L.A.  Yes, L.A. still has some sort of a music scene even though Poison and Motley Crue have had their 15 minutes.  Hope you all greeted the new year in style.  I saw a great set of bands at Club Midway as reported on last week's show.

Here's a sample of who's playing the scene this week and featured on this week's podcast...

Wednesday, Jan. 3:  The Sweet Ones hit The Delancey.  They've got lots of energy.  Great way to take a break from the week.

Thursday, Jan. 4:  Join Seer as they start their East Coast tour.  They've got a harder, darker sound, pretty heavy on the bass.  They play Arlene's Grocery, and are playing a few more shows in New York this weekend.

Friday, Jan. 5:  I listen to this band and feel like I should be at the beach.   Vampire Weekend play Club Midway.

Saturday, Jan. 6:  The Hatch come in from L.A. to bring their pop rock tunes to Pianos.  They start their residency this weekend, so check them out every Saturday this month.

Got another song from the Bon Savants.  I featured them on Show 34, CMJ week, and I saw thier album mentioned this week in one of our local free dailies, AM New York, which has a pretty good music section.  I've also been hearing them a lot on Sirius lately, so I play a song in honor of their burgeoning fame.

Go to podcastalley or itunes to subscribe to the show.

e-mail Chad at alphabetcityradio@gmail.com

Next up:  New Year's Eve.  I get so sick of hearing everyone say they hate New Year's Eve and still go out for it anyway.  Don't find yourself at a lame-ass bar in Murray Hill and pay a $100+ cover.  Just go out and have a good time like any other weekend.  There are lots of bands playing for the night.  This week's episode gives you a rundown of the New Year's Eve shows, going outside the Alphabet City area, which we normally focus on.

I talk about others on the podcast, but here are a few notable highlights with the bands that are featured on this week's show.

Hammerstein Ballroom's got Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.  Last year they played on New Year's Eve at Irving Plaza (which has Brazilian Girls this year).  Their new album comes out at the end of January.

Mercury Lounge:  Radio 4, Oxford Collapse, and New Idea Society.  This looks to be an outstanding lineup.  Check out episode 10, where I featured Oxford Collapse months ago.

Arlene's Grocery:  Upbeat, fun bands (Chris Cubet and the Liar's Club; The Stoned) with rock and roll karaoke after.  If you're going to do karaoke, this is it... live band backs you up on the Arlene's Grocery stage.  Lot's of fun!

Club Midway:  If you're looking to party all night, this looks like the one to hit.  The show starts at 10:00 with bands starting up every hour after that until 3:00 a.m.  Great set of bands playing too.  See Sh-sh-sh-shark Attack, Size Queens, Real Kids, Dead Combo, A Place to Bury Strangers, which was featured on episode 4.

...plus I talk about others on the podcast.  Enjoy!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Send me (Chad) an e-mail at alphabetcityradio@gmail.com

 

Well, the holidays have caught up to us here.  It's a little slow finding the good shows to see this week, but I've still managed to find some fine bands to catch.  Doubling up Thursday night this week since Wednesday night wasn't so good. 

We've got a good mix on this week's podcast.

Thursday, Dec. 21: 

Friday, Dec. 22:  Hello Nurse plays Mercury Lounge.  Time to celebrate your (at least) 3-day weekend with a little post-punk.

Saturday, Dec. 23:  Hellfire Boys Club takes on a punk night with a great line-up at Arlene's Grocery.

Enjoy the podcast show this week, and enjoy one of these shows and let me know what you think.

e-mail Chad at alphabetcityradio@gmail.com

During the holidays bands usually slow down and take a break from touring, but we've still got a great week of live shows here in downtown NYC.  This one's only local bands (they don't have to travel far and still get a good show in) and shows how strong the scene is here.

A pretty eclectic mix for the podcast this week...

Wednesday, Dec. 13:  We start it off with Electric Shadows, a great pure rock and roll band, playing at Fat Baby.

Thursday, Dec. 14:  Beat the Devil has a very special, unique sound that must be heard.  It's really indescribable, but I can say that they have a voice and music that is totally cool but with some real emotion that you can feel.  They play Sin-e.

Friday, Dec. 15:  Go out and celebrate my birthday and dance along with Thieves Like Us at The Delancey.  Another really unique style, but their music is more dance.  Living legend and producer Prince Paul will be making an appearance upstairs at the Delancey too.

Saturday, Dec. 16:  Finally, the Brought Low hit the stage at Club Midway.  New York band with a southern rock sound.  It's a great one too.

e-mail Chad at alphabetcityradio@gmail.com

Hey, folks!!  Winter may have finally come, but don't let it keep you in!  As always, there are some great bands hitting the stage here.

Thursday, Dec. 7:  Ghostfinger plays Pianos.  Group of Southern guys invade our turf.  They've got a really cool sound.

Friday, Dec. 8:  Again, at Pianos (they seem to have a consistent solid line-up), we've got NYC's The Sugar Report.  If you like VHS or Beta or (dare I say) Interpol, you'll probably like these guys.

Saturday, Dec. 9:  New wave/punk sound of The Slats from Minneapolis hits Sin-e.  They're cool.  Minneapolis is known to have a good music scene.  See what it has to offer.

Sunday, Dec. 10:  I love this one... a bluegrass-influenced (rock? punk?) band from New York.  o'death

And... don't forget.  Chad loves to get e-mails.  He stares all day at his computer screen and bases the worth of his existence on the number of e-mails he receives.  You can make him feel real good at alphabetcityradio@gmail.com.